Closure operator



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 U/a/ i Lyw/ l-. @gmk 5. J Jx. NQ o e y O I .\J T NO Op? x .E E W Q NNN q l .n w fil -lff EL am e o? )NN .N *fue TN MY NNN v a MN X40/ W R e y gw H Jan. 26, 1954 R. A. TERRY ETAL CLosURE OPERATOR Filed Nov. 19, 194B Jan. 26, 1954 R. A. TERRY E'T Al.

CLOSURE OPERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 19, 1948 INVENTOR'. I /ZPex Terry, Giusi@ ve C', /u ef?.

Patented Jan. 26, 1954 CLOSURE OPERATOR Rex A. Terry, Berkley, and Gustave C. Kuehn, Huntington Woods, Mich., assignors to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application November 19, 1948, Serial No. 60,924

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a closure operator particularly adapted for controlling the movement of folding, jackknife type, doors or the like.

In its preferred embodiment the invention will be described as applied to the side door opening of a short-haul or house-to-house delivery truck of the type shown in the (3o-pending application of R. Duif et al., Serial No. 47,213, iiled September 1, 1948, but it will be understood that the closure operating mechanism and the other features herein disclosed are applicable to any foldable closure member.

While folding, jackknife type, side doors for motor vehicles are generally known and used, still, the mechanisms employed for controlling movement of these doors have been relativeli7 complicated and quick to g'et out of order, have required the use of unsightly, laterally extending, guide plates around the edges of the door opening, and have not provided suitable guide means at both the upper and lower end edges of the doors so as to prevent binding between the doors and door jamb to thereby insure an easily operable door.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a closure operating mechanism particularly adapted for jackknife type, folding doors which is simple and durable, eliminates the use of outwardly projecting guide plates along the edges of the door opening and provides positive guiding along both the upper and lower end edges of the doors so as to insure an easily operable, balanced, door movement.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a door actuating control linkthat also provides a guide track for the movable door sections.

It is another object of this invention to provide movable door guide mechanisms at both the upper and lower end edgesof the folding doors which mechanisms are located entirely within the door amb or vehicle body when the doors are closed and are arranged to be substantially unnoticeable when the doors areA open.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a door actuating mechanism that requires a minimumof manual effort and is so located that it is easily reached yet arranged such that it will not obstruct or interfere with passage through the door opening.

Additional objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a reading of the specification and a consideration of the related drawings wherein: l

Fig. 1 is a. plan view. of'thedoorI guiding and actuating mechanism adapted to be mounted' along the top edge of a pair of iackknifefolding doors, portions thereof being broken awayV and shown in section to more clearly disclose the invention. Solid lines show the doors iny closed position Whereas broken lines indicate the opened position of portions of the door sections and associated mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation yof the door actuation mechanism shown in Fig. 1 applied to a pair of folding, jackknife doors of a motor truck, the view being taken from WithinA the truck looking towardsv the outside;

Fig. 2A is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken on line 2A-2A of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the door control mechanism adapted to be located along the. bot

tom edge of the door, portions of the door and jamb being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a sectionalelevation of the door confor the closure operator control link, the `vievv being taken along the line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

v Each set of folding doors It is designed to close a door opening, Whose side edges are denedby the front and rear door posts II and I2 respectively and whose end edges are defined bythe roof rail I 3 vand the truck floor I4. When the doors are in unfolded or closed position they are aligned with the outer side of the door jamb.

Each set of folding doors Ill comprises a front door section I5 and a rear door section1l6 interconnected by a suitable hinge I'I whichv hinge extends the entire distance between the top and bottom of the doors at the adjoining sidel edgeV portions of each door section. Rear door section I6 is provided at its rear edge with a suitable hinge portion I8 which cooperates with a hinge portion I9 secured to the front side of the rear Hinge portions I8 and I9 also exdoor post I2. tend the entire distance between the top and bottom edges of the doors. door section I6 is hinged to the body frame door post I2 While front door section I5 is hinged to and supported by its hinged mounting I1 -on 'y the rear door section I6.

Mounted on rear door sectionV I6, adjacent hinge portion I8, and just below the top edge ofdoorV section I6 is arigid oiset toggle arm 2l which' In this mannerrear has a portion projecting substantially normal to the inner surface of the door section I6. Arm 2| may be integral with a portion of door section I6 or may be welded or bolted thereto as desired. The free inwardly projecting end of arm 2| is provided with a vertically extending aperture adapted to receive a clevis pin 22. Pin 22 is pivotally connected to the bifurcated end of a control link yoke portion 23. The yoke portion 23 is fixedly mounted on the rearwardly extending end portion of control link 24. Linkage 2|-24 constitutes a toggle mechanism adapted to effect door actuation. Y

Control link 24 is of inverted U or channeledshaped cross section (see Fig. and extends forwardly from arm 2| along the inner side of the door opening. Adjacent the front door post control link 24 is provided with a vertically extending hollow boss member 25, which provides means for connecting control link 24 to its actuating mechanism. Y

Boss member 25 (see Fig. 5) has pivotally mounted therein a yoke member 26. The bifurcated end of yoke member 26 is pivotally connected by clevis pin 21 to the free end of lever arm 28 of bell crank 29. .The other end of lever arm 28 has integrally formed'therewith a transversely extending hollow boss portion 36, which boss portion is rotatably supported on a pivot stud 3| fixedly mounted in a U-shaped rigid support bracket 32 fixedly mounted on the vehicle body frame. Also connected to said boss portion 36 of bell crank 29 is a lever arm 33 which is adapted to be rotated about the pivot` stud 3| so as to actuate the door control mechanism. Y

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the arrangement herein provided locates the lever arm 33 in a position above the door along the body roof rail I3 where it may be conveniently grasped by a person'desiring to operate the door control mechanism and, furthermore, the operating lever 33 is so positioned that it will not interfere with passage through the door opening. 'Ihe lever arm 33 in both door opened and door closed positions is arranged to be located along the roof rail YI3, as will be clearly pointed out in the subsequent description.-

A bracket 44 having an oset arm portion 45 is secured by bolts 46 to the upper, forward, inner, surface portion of door section |5. Bracket arm 45 is provided with a vertically extending guide pin 41 adapted to have portions thereof movably mounted within the U-shaped channel or guidew'ay of control link 24. Guide pinv 41, Which constitutes the follower means of the control link mechanism, has a circular bearing member 48 rotatably mounted thereon so as to provide 4 wardly projecting guide plates from above the door opening.

To provide means for guiding the movement of the lower end edges of the folding doors and to balance the closure operating mechanism, a rigid, spring actuated, control link 5| is connected between the lower edge portion of the rear door i section I6 and a Slidably mounted cross head a rolling connection between the guide pin 41 and Y the channel guideway of control link 24.

The control link 24 is a dual purpose element that transmits door actuating movement from i the control lever V33 to the hingedly mounted door sections l5, I6 and at the same time link 24 providesV a guide means for positively controlling movement of the foldable door sections. Control link 24 is located completely within the vehicle body when the doors are closed and when the doors Vare swung to open position only a small portion of the offset end of control link 24 is swung outside of the vehicle body (see Fig. 1).V

As a result of applicants arrangement the conventional, outwardly projecting, stationary guide- Way structure for doors of this type has been eliminated and the general appearance of the vehicle improved due to the removal of unsightly, `outmember 62 that is mounted beneath the floor i4 adjacent the forward portion of the door opening. Fixed to the lower end edge of rear door section I6 is a rigid, offset, lever arm 52 having a bifurcated free end portion which is pivotally connected by clevis pin 53 to the rearwardly extending end of lower control link 5|. The forwardly extending end4 of control link 5| is pivotally connected to the cross head member 62 which member is adapted to slidably reciprocate in the guideway 63 that is xedly mounted on the underside of the vehicle body door I4. Adjustably mounted on the control link 5|, intermediate its ends, is an anchor bracket 55 having an aperture 56 therein adapted to receive one end of a tension spring element 51. The opposite end of spring element 51 is anchored in an aperture 58 in the anchor bracket 59 mounted on the body frame adjacent the lower end of rear door post l2. Spring 51 is adapted to function as an actuating and overcenter device that assists in Ythe movement of the door and is also adapted to hold the door in either its fully opened or fully closed position. By connecting the spring 51 and control link 5| to the lower edge of thel door a balanced door operating mechanism is provided `due to the fact that actuating, as well as guiding "the door between opened and closed position.

This balanced control mechanism insures an easily operable door. closure operating mechanism associated with the lower end edges of the door sections is arranged to be substantially completely enclosed by the cover plate housing 65. Housing 65 is detachably connected by bolts 66 to the under side of the iioor la and to the associated body frame adjacent the door opening. Housing 65 prevents dirt, ice, or the like from accumulating on the contained closure operating mechanism 5|-63 and thus a common source of interference with door movement is eliminated. When the door sections |5, I6 are moved to open position the offset pivotally connected ends of control link 5| and rigid arm 52 are swung outwardly through a slot 68 in the side wall 69 of housing unit 65. The offset pivotally connected ends of link 5| and arm 52 are the only portions of the lower closure operating mechanism visible when the doors are open and these portions of the operating mechanism vare located adjacent the lower end of the rear door post i2 where theyare practically unnoticeable and are out of the way so as not to intertere in any way with passage through the door opening.

The free side edge of forward door section l5 is forward side edge of the door. A cantilever type.

sealing and cushioning strip 13 is also provided along the rear door post l2 to sealingly engage It will be noted that the` 54 the rear side edge of door section I6 whenthe .door l@ is in closed position. Suitable sealing flaps or the like may also be provided alonr the uppergand lower end edges Vof the door sections if desired.

Operation of this door control mechanism is as follows:

With the door in closed position, as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 4, the operator grasps the lever 33 and pulls downwardly to cause rotation of the lever 33 in a direction towards vthe front end of the truck. This forward rotation of lever 33 swings depending lever arm 2t forwardly and pulls control link 24 forwardly towards the front end of the truck. This forward movement of link 24 is transmittedl through the offset toggle arm 2l to the hingedly mounted rear door section i6, causing rotation of rear door section l' outwardly about the hinge pivot between hinge sections I3 and IQ. After operating lever 33 has been rotated through an arc of approximately 45, the door sections will have been swung about half open and control link 24 and the toggle linkage lli- 23 will. have reached its limiting forward position. However, momentum gained by the door sections during this initial door opening movement will carry the door seotions i5, l over the toggle center after which the overcenter spring 5l will pull the` door sections to their folded, rearwardly disposed, fully opened, positions. The fully opened position of the door sections l5, it are indicated in broken lines in l and fi. During the last half of the door opening movement the control link 2d is traveling rearwardly assisted by the pull of the overcenter spring 5i, therefore physical effort is no longer required of the operator. During this latter portion of door opening' movement the control lever 33 may be released for it will automatically return to approximately its initial position above the roof rail i3 where ivf-Jill be ont of the way so that it will not interfere with passage through the door opening. Spring 53' will retain lever 33 in its fully opened and fully closed positions along the roof rail i3.

During door opening movement rear door section l simply pivots outwardly about ie hinge connections i, is while the front door section l5 pivots about hinge il, Front door section it is caused by the movement of guide pin 'il' along the channeled guide-way of control link El! to swing outwardly and fold upon to the inner sideof rear door section le at a location rearwardly of the rear door post i2.

When it is desired to close the door, operating lever is again pulled downwardly and thereby rotated forwardly about pivot pin 3 iwhich movement causes leverY 2S to swing the control link 24 and door sections le forwardly about the hinge connections i8, i 5 and effect an unfolding motion exactly opposite to that occurring during door opening movement. The movement of the door sections during closing movement is also positively guided by the aforementioned guide mechanism that is located at the upper and lower end edges of the door unit it.

As a result of the door control guideway mechanism provided by follower 47 and U-shaped control link 24 at the upper end edges of the door unit and by the spring controlled arm and link mechanism 5l, 52, 5?, 52, 63 at the lower end edges of the door unit, binding of the door is prevented. Due to the door closure mechanism herein disclosed providing suitable control means at both the upper and lower end edges of the door sections an easily operable, balanced, closure 6., mechanism has lbeen provided. i Furthermoreythe novel controlstructure `fortheyupper edges ofthe door eliminates 'certain guide parts heretofore required due to the control link- 24 serving the f dual function of an actuating member as well as guiding member for the movable door sections. Also it will be notedthat the control means Vat yboth ends of the door are completely shielded from the elements when the door is closed so that their operation cannot `be impaired by the accumulation of ice, dirt o1' the like.

vWe claim:

l. In a motor vehicle, a body having a door opening and adoor thereforcomprising a plurality of foldably connected sections,V one of said sections being hingedly mounted on said body at one side edge of the doorV opening, a bell crank control lever pivotally mounted Within said body adjacent the upper end of the door opening, a rst rigid arm projecting from the upper` end portion of the door section hingedly mounted on said body, a rigid, control link extending along the upper end edge of the door opening and pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said control lever and said rst rigid arm, said control link having a guideway extending lengthwise there of, a guiderpin carried by the upper end portion of another of said door `sections having parts thereof mountedfor movement along the guideway in said control link, a second rigid arm projecting from the lower end of the door section that is hingedly mounted on the body, and spring actuated, overcenter linkage connected between said second rigid arm and a guideway mounted on the body adapted to actuate and guidev the movement of the lowerv end4 of said one of the door sections and providing means to retain the door sections in fully opened and fully closed positions, said overcenter linkage at the lower end of the door cooperating with the guiding and actuating linkage atthe .upper end of the door to providea pair of opposite disposed door actuating and guiding linkages that prevent binding of the door sections during actuation thereof.

2. A closure operator for a foldable, multiple section, closuremember that is .adapted to be folded and unfolded across an opening, said closure member including an end folding section that isadapted to be hingedly mounted along one side of the opening .and at least one other folding section that is pivotally connected to the said eno` section comprising a vcontrol lever for the closure `operator that is adapted to Ibe movably mounted relative to said closure member, a rigid closure member actuating and guide link adapted to extend along one edge of the opening, means pivotally connecting opposite end portions of the y said link to the control lever and to the end section of the closure member respectively, a trackway carried by said link and arranged to extend lengthwise thereof, follower means carried by the said other section of the closure memberv having portions thereof connected with said trackway for guided movement relative thereto during movement of said closure member between folded and unfolded positions relative to said opening, said link and follower means providing means for both actuating and guiding the movement of said closure member.

3. In combination, a body having a doorlopening therein and a door closure therefor comprising a plurality of foldably connected door sections, one of said sections being hingedly mounted on said body at one side edge of the door opening, a control lever pivotally mounted on the body adjacent one end edge of the door opening, a rigid arm mounted on and projecting from an end portion of the door section that is hingedly mounted on the body, a rigid, control link extending along said aforementioned one Vend edge of the door opening, said control link being pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said control lever and said rigid arm respectively, said control link being formed with a guideway extending lengthwise thereof, and a guider pin carried by the end portion of another of said door sections having portions thereof mounted Within the guideway in said control link for movement therealong, the arrangement of the control link and guide pin being such that actuation thereof automatically effects guided relative movement between the several door sections.

4, In a motor vehicle body having a door openlng therein including vertically extending front and rear door posts, a folding sectional door for said opening-comprising a pair of hingedly connected door sections one of which is hingedly mounted on one of said door posts for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, a roof rail member rigid with the body bridging said posts and defining the upper edge of said door opening, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on said body for rotation in a vertically extending plane, said lever comprising an operating handle normally extending in a substantially horizontal direction along said roof rail member and a depending crank arm normally extending in a substantially vertical direction, an offset arm carried by the door section that is hingedly mounted on one of said door posts, a rigid control link pivotally connected to and extending between the lever crank arm and the offset arm, said control link including a trackway that extends lengthwise of the link, and follower means mounted on the other door section having portions thereof mounted on said link trackway for travel along said trackway,

said link trackway and follower means cooperating to guide the movement of the door sections during actuation thereof.

5. A body having a door opening therein and a door closure therefor comprising a plurality f foldably connected sections, one of said sections being hingedly mounted on said body at one side edge of the door opening, a control lever pivotally mounted within said body, an Offset arm projecting from an end portion of the door section that is hingedly mounted on said body, a movable combination door actuating and guide link extending along one end edge of said door opening and `pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said control lever and said arm respectively, said control link having a guideway formed therein extending lengthwise of the link, and follower means carried by another of said door sections having portions thereof mounted within the guideway in said control link for travel therealong during movement of the door sections, actuation of said link effecting guided movement of the several door sections between door opened and closed positions.

6. In a door opening and closing device, the combination with a folding sectional door comprising al plurality of hingedly connected sections one of which is pivotally mounted on a support, of an arm -connected to and projecting from said one of the door sections, an operating lever mounted for movement relative to said door sections, a combination actuating and door guiding link pivotally connected between said arm and said operating lever, said link mounting a guideway that extends longitudinally along the link, and a follower carried by another of said door sections and having portions thereof engaged with said guideway so as to travel along said guideway during movement of the door sections, actuation of said operating lever effecting relative movement between said sections and guiding the movement of the last mentioned door section.

7. In a motor vehicle, a body having a door opening and a door therefor comprising a plurality of hinged together sections one of which is hingedly connected to the Vehicle body along its free side edge so as to permit said sections to be foldable into side-by-side relation beside said door opening, an offset arm carried by the door section hingedly connected to the vehicle body, an operating lever mounted on said body for movement thereto, a combination door actuating and door guiding link connected between said swing arm and said operating lever, said link including a guideway formation, and a follower means carried by another of said door sections having portions thereof mounted within said control link guideway for travel therealong during door movement, actuation of said link and follower means effecting guided movement of each of said door sections.

REX A. TERRY.

GUSTAVE C. KUEI-IN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Peglow Jan. 8, 1945V 

